After almost two years of students being committed to stay home and study online, it’s finally that time of year where school bells ring and students meet their friends and teachers again after so long. Returning to school has become an event which every family eagerly awaits, as this will be the first time students will attend classes since the start of COVID-19 and the imposed closure of educational institutions which have forced students to attend their lessons online through a computer and miss the educational environment.

In the midst of the important preparations and the purchase of school supplies, and the joy and optimism that fill the parents’ hearts of their children continuing their educational journeys back at school, fear and anxiety understandably dominate every household of the virus’ spread and their children’s health being compromised in these exceptional circumstances.

To find out more, The Avenues Insider team contacted the Educational Supervision Consultant Manayer Al-Hamadi, who confirmed that the students’ proper return to school and being in an educational environment are among the priorities of society, all while adhering to health requirements and maintaining social distancing. She commented: “We support the Ministry of Education’s plan to return all stages back to school, and although the primary stage is not vaccinated against COVID-19 yet, the students’ attendance is crucial to compensate for the educational loss, since students have been absent for the past year and a half. Of course, online learning is certainly not in the quality and level of classroom learning, where students are truly present and receive information direction from the teacher in class.” 

Al-Hamadi explained that, although children in the primary experience the least severe COVID-19’s symptoms, they could still transmit the infection to those who live with them at home, which requires vaccinating their households.

Manayer Al Hamadi advised the following to achieve a safe return to schools:

1.    The vaccination of the students’ families and households if they’re eligible.

2.    Parents should advise their children to adhere to health measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, using hand sanitizers, and washing their hands without intimidating them.

3.    Parents should opt to advise their children without intimidating them.

4.    Emphasizing to children the importance of only using their personal tools and school supplies.

Manayer Al Hamadi further stressed on the necessity of presenting a health awareness program, by the Ministry of Education in cooperation with the Ministry of Information, which explains how students should deal with their peers from entering school and classes, handling their personal tools and school supplies, as well as their meals and using the bathroom.

This back-to-school year is undoubtedly different from all the previous years, so don’t forget to take loads of pictures of your children on their first day back to school for memories… we wish you all a safe return to school!